Electrical circuitry often is provided with protection from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) emanating from or entering the system. Although EMI and RFI now are often used interchangeably, EMI has been used to connote energy occurring anywhere in the electromagnetic spectrum and RFI has been limited at times to interference in the radio communication band. EMI energy can be generated outside as well as inside the system. External EMI energy can interfere with the operation of electronic equipment within the system, while internal EMI energy can create "cross talk" and "noise" which can cause erroneous data transmission.
Electrical connectors are particularly prone to disruptions from EMI energy because of the numerous contact areas and openings for electrical terminals and cables. A typical electrical connector includes a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals. The housing may have a forward mating section. In order to protect the connector from disruptions caused by EMI energy, shields are provided about the dielectric housing and, particularly, the mating section thereof. Such shields often are fabricated of stamped and formed conductive sheet metal material. The sheet material is stamped and then formed or folded into an enclosure for the connector housing. One of the problems with such shields is that they often are made of multiple components which cause EMI "leakage" and the components are not held together by sufficiently strong engaging means. The present invention is directed to solving these problems in a multi-component shield which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.